Debbie and Darryl Hancock are facing new pandemic-related challenges after taking over the Inglewood butcher in 2019.
The couple, who also produce their own pork, lamb and beef, had six months of establishing themselves in their business - The Fat Butcher - before the pandemic struck at the beginning of 2020.
But they made it work, kept staff employed and the community fed.
"(Darryl is) a farmer from Murphy's Creek and I'm a Castlemaine girl. We had Murphy Creek Pork Pies, which we sold all over Victoria. Darryl is a sixth generation farmer and we bought the shop to see if it would work. Its hard, truly it is hard work.
"Since we have been trading through COVID, we don't really know what good or bad business is. We managed to keep staff on through the pandemic, so we must be doing something right. Then a few left, so we are trying to find a butcher."
Two years later, the latest shutdown and new strain of coronavirus has provided tougher challenges.
While supermarkets have issues with their supply of meat and other stock, smaller farms and butchers are having a different issue.
Debbie said staff shortages that occur from people needing to isolate have left abattoirs short-staffed at times.
"Some places are struggling to get stuff slaughtered. Farm wise, we have plenty of stock, it's just getting it there and hoping the abattoirs are going," she said. "When abattoirs go down with COVID (that's our issue), we haven't been able to get any animals slaughtered for two weeks.
"It will be interesting to see what's available in week or two. We are right for meat (because) we are about to put through 20 lambs and three cows. That will mean we are right for a couple weeks."
"We are still getting orders in but have plenty spare in freezer. Country people are happy to buy frozen products. City people seem to expect fresh and want it.
"I have probably been oversupplying in the sense that I always had things spare. Even if the world went pear shaped, I still have trim to make sausages for three months. If we can't get product, we will still have something to sell unlike supermarkets that have nothing at all."
Debbie said being able supplying the restaurants, cafes and other businesses they are meant to has continued because they make the deliveries themselves.
"Some cafes and pubs are not doing their full trade because there are not enough staff," she said. "We go to Melbourne on Thursdays to the restaurants and cafes (we supply) and into Bendigo every day. Everyone is chugging along but we are all waiting to see (what's next). Its the unknown that is really hard work.
"We can get two deliveries to Melbourne a week and that's still running. Prices will skyrocket for beef because nothing is getting slaughtered but we are also still recovering from droughts, floods and fires.
"We are not far out a drought in Victoria and everyone is trying to get their breeding stock back. Crops have been decimated in NSW and then flood. Until everyone gets stock back up, we won't see continuous flow."
The other change Debbie has noticed during the recent rise in cases is the empty roads between towns.
"We haven't been busy. When COVID first hit we were absolutely flogged, everyone was coming from Bendigo for product," she said. "This time everyone is too scared to come. There is no one on the highways.
"When the pandemic first started people didn't know how to cook. Now everyone has learned to cook, so it's not just mince - they can cooks steaks, chicken and have really learned to their make own takeaway.
"There are not many small butchers left in small towns but a lot are still going. This last shutdown, for us, probably hurt us the most but we are still going. All we can do is try."